Corrections Act 2004

Corrections system - Statutory roles and responsibilities - Persons with powers and functions in relation to administration of community-based sentences, sentences of home detention, conditions of release, or parole

25: Functions of probation officers

You could also call this:

"What probation officers do to help people follow the rules and stay safe in the community"

As a probation officer, you have many jobs. You supervise people who have been sentenced to supervision, intensive supervision, community detention, or home detention. You also make sure they follow the rules of their sentence. You do the same for people who have been released on parole or have an extended supervision order made under Part 1A of the Parole Act 2002. You supervise offenders who have been released on compassionate release under section 41 of the Parole Act 2002 and those subject to a protective supervision order under the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014.

You arrange and manage community-based sentences and home detention sentences given under section 80A of the Sentencing Act 2002. You get the community involved in helping people with their sentences and make sure they have the support they need. You also arrange programmes to help offenders rehabilitate and reintegrate into society. You provide reports and information to courts, the New Zealand Parole Board, and prison managers when they need it.

If you work at a community work centre, you monitor people doing community work to make sure they follow the rules. You find work for them to do and report back to your manager on how they are doing. As a probation officer, you can also start or continue court cases on behalf of other probation officers.

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This page was last updated on 6 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM295424.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Criminal lawCrime and justice > Victim supportGovernment and voting > Government departments

24: Probation officers, or

"Who can be a probation officer and what they do"

26: Probation officers may delegate power to supervise offenders on community work, or

"Probation officers can give some jobs to other staff to help supervise people doing community work."

Part 2Corrections system
Statutory roles and responsibilities: Persons with powers and functions in relation to administration of community-based sentences, sentences of home detention, conditions of release, or parole

25Functions of probation officers

It is the function of every probation officer—
to supervise all persons placed under the officer's supervision under a sentence of supervision or intensive supervision or community detention or home detention, and to ensure that the conditions of the sentence or of the release are complied with:
to supervise all persons placed under the officer's supervision under an extended supervision order made under Part 1A of the Parole Act 2002, and to ensure that the conditions of the order are complied with:
to supervise all offenders released on parole and to ensure that the conditions of parole are complied with:
to supervise offenders released on compassionate release under section 41 of the Parole Act 2002 and to ensure that the conditions of release (if any) are complied with:
to supervise persons released subject to a protective supervision order under the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014 and to ensure that the requirements included in the order are complied with:
to arrange and administer community-based sentences and sentences of home detention imposed under section 80A of the Sentencing Act 2002 referred to the officer for that administration, and to ensure that the sentences are carried out:
to co-ordinate and arrange community involvement (including the use of volunteers) in the administration of any particular community-based sentence or sentence of home detention imposed under section 80A of the Sentencing Act 2002, or any particular release under the Parole Act 2002, where appropriate and in accordance with any instructions issued by a controlling officer:
to arrange, provide, and monitor rehabilitative and reintegrative programmes or related services for offenders, where appropriate, if directed to do so by a controlling officer:
to provide all the reports and information that a court, the New Zealand Parole Board, or a prison manager may require under any enactment:
to perform any other function that is prescribed by or under this Act or any other enactment.

It is the function of every probation officer or person who is designated or appointed to manage or be employed at a community work centre—
to monitor the compliance by offenders with the conditions of the sentence of community work; and
to ensure that authorised work is available for offenders sentenced to community work; and
to perform any other function that is prescribed by or under this Act or any other enactment; and
to report to the controlling officer in the officer's probation area on the matters specified in paragraphs (a) to (c) and on any other matter relating to community work that he or she thinks fit.

A probation officer may commence or prosecute any proceedings in any court on behalf of any other probation officer.

Compare

1985 No 120 s 125

Notes

Section 25(1)(a): replaced, on 1 October 2007, by section 58 of the Sentencing Amendment Act 2007 (2007 No 27).
Section 25(1)(a): amended, on 17 December 2016, by section 31 of the Statutes Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 104).
Section 25(1)(ab): inserted, on 7 July 2004, by section 14(3) of the Parole (Extended Supervision) Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 67).
Section 25(1)(ac): inserted, on 15 December 2005, by section 4 of the Corrections Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 97).
Section 25(1)(ad): inserted, on 15 December 2005, by section 4 of the Corrections Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 97).
Section 25(1)(ae): inserted, on 12 December 2014, by section 144 of the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014 (2014 No 68).
Section 25(1)(b): replaced, on 1 October 2007, by section 58 of the Sentencing Amendment Act 2007 (2007 No 27).
Section 25(1)(c): amended, on 1 October 2007, by section 58 of the Sentencing Amendment Act 2007 (2007 No 27).